PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between tim sylvia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Henry Katama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

sylvia
vs
Katama

195 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

193 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, tim sylvia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Henry Katama!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Thiago Cunha and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Katama checks a leg kick nicely.

Katama shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
sylvia looking to control but Katama passes into half guard.
sylvia tries to kick Katama off but Katama keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
sylvia wants to improve his position but Katama is controlling well.
sylvia wants to control but Katama is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Katama seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Katama lands with a punch from half guard.
Katama takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
sylvia trying to control from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Katama tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Katama scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Katama perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

sylvia actively working from the bottom here.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Katama in particular looking to stall.

Katama looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Katama content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Katama is thwarting sylvia's attempts to control the position.
Katama performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
sylvia is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Katama's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Katama's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
sylvia is not going to allow Katama to sit and survive in this position.
sylvia has the hooks in. Katama is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

Katama preventing the rear naked choke attempt from sylvia.
sylvia is breathing heavily.
Katama turns into sylvia and is now in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Katama's corner is telling him to maintain position.
sylvia keeping full guard, as Katama tries to pass.
Katama sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Katama working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of sylvia's head.
Katama is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Katama pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. sylvia is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Henry Katama dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Katama has closed the distance and engaged sylvia in a clinch.

Katama has clasped his hands together around sylvia's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

Katama decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Katama shoots for a double leg takedown but sylvia sprawls well. He's pushed Katama's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Katama shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in sylvia's guard.
Katama trying to control but sylvia is working from the bottom.
sylvia trying to keep a closed guard but Katama is proving a slippery customer.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Katama trying to control the position from guard on top but sylvia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katama forces his way into half guard.
sylvia trying to control from the bottom.
Katama not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Katama slows the pace down in half guard.
Katama sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. sylvia defending well though.
Katama perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
sylvia is trying to maintain the position but Katama is very close to passing his half guard.
Katama misses with a head shot. sylvia uses the momentum to regain guard.
sylvia is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Katama preventing the sweep.
Katama wants to control from the top but sylvia keeps moving.
sylvia preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Katama shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with sylvia but sylvia pushes him off and we're back to square one.
sylvia with a lazy takedown attempt

and Katama counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Katama lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt sylvia or not.
Katama gets through sylvia's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Katama decides to pull guard.
sylvia trying to control the position from guard on top but Katama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
sylvia has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Katama pulls sylvia in close to his closed guard and prevents sylvia from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
sylvia wants to control from the top but Katama keeps moving.
Katama manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. sylvia manages to get himself to full guard.
sylvia working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Henry Katama showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Katama has closed the distance and engaged sylvia in a clinch.

Katama jumps into guard, dragging sylvia to the mat.
sylvia being controlled here momentarily.
sylvia trying to control but Katama is working from the bottom.
sylvia landing with the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Katama manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. sylvia manages to get himself to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Katama trying to control the position from guard on top but sylvia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Katama is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
sylvia manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Katama manages to get himself to full guard.

Katama uses the cage to get back to his feet.
sylvia with a lazy takedown attempt

and Katama counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Katama content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Katama escapes and gets back to his feet.
tim sylvia is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Katama looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
sylvia is trying to keep Katama in close.
Katama is stalling in the full guard.
Katama passes easily into side control. Nice work.
sylvia is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Katama has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Katama punishing his opponent with strikes.
Katama landing strikes from the mount.
Katama lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Katama controlling his opponent.
tim sylvia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Henry Katama is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Let's hope that Katama has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Henry Katama comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Katama winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Henry Katama!